12 - Overview

Summary

There are many things we can do to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, including high levels of physical and mental activity, avoidance of hypertension, head injury, high-fat, low-fiber diet, smoking, etc. These risk factors have been documented by decades of human and animal research and have allowed for the development of protective lifestyle measures that lead to a lowered risk of disease. These lifestyle factors apply to all phases of the life cycle, including childhood, as well as late life, and contribute to diminishing the risk of getting dementia, as well as delaying its onset and speed of progression. In the applications section there is a comprehensive discussion of these factors that will lower the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, improve our resilience so that function can be maintained despite development of disease, and enhance the capacity of all of the four reserve factors: cognitive, physical, psychological, and social. The actions recommended are all also valuable for lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke as well as some forms of cancer. Enhancing these reserve factors will enable you to augment your enjoyment of the opportunity aging presents.